Great Britain has produced several great roots bands -- Steel Pulse, Aswad, Misty In Roots, and Black Slate among them but Matumbi is one of the earliest and most influential. They formed in 1971 in London at a time when roots music in Jamaica itself was just entering its prime.
Formed in south London, with a line-up of Tex Dixon (vocals), Euton Jones (drums), Dennis Bovell (guitar), Errol Pottinger (guitar), Eaton "Jah" Blake (bass guitar) Bevin Fagan (vocals) (died 2008), and Nicholas Bailey (vocals, later better known as Nick Straker), initially they acted as a backing band to touring Jamaican musicians. In 1973, they opened for The Wailers at the Ethiopian famine relief concert in Edmonton.
Success brought problems for the band, with their record label unhappy about some band members' other musical activities, and Bailey and Dixon left, to be replaced by Webster Johnson (keyboards). Pottinger and Jones also left the band, with Glaister Fagan and Lloyd "Jah Bunny" Donaldson joining. The new line-up signed a deal with Harvest Records, and toured with Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Matumbi recorded two sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1978. In the same year, they recorded the theme song for the BBC television series, Empire Road.
The group's debut album, Seven Seals, was issued in 1978, but their second album, Point of View, was a greater success, with the title track giving the band a top 40 hit in 1979. Further albums followed between 1980 and 1982, but these did not match their earlier success. Their last album, Testify, was recorded in Jamaica co-produced by Bevin Fagan and drummer Euton Jones.
The band split up, with members moving on to various other projects; Dennis Bovell released solo material and became renowned as a producer, Donaldson joined The Cimarons, and Fagan and Blake recorded as The Squad.
Ordinary Man
Matumbi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i would have to be stronger than samsone
a wiresom than solid man
more than just a man ...
if i were to love you
in the way you want me to
i do all that you have me to
in everywere i can
i know i can love you, girl
only if you let me baby!! only if you let me baby!
ordinary men,,, uuu
know love is suppouse to be as mellow as the moonlight
and not something that we should fight, come give your love to me tonight
que were ment to be . me for me and you for me
so come on girl and let us be .
true lovers for eternity
for i am just an ordinary men
uu im simple and easy going
i know i can love you, girl
but only if you let me baby
if you let me baby
The song "Ordinary Man" by Matumbi speaks about the limitations of being an average person and how these limitations could affect one's ability to love. The lyrics highlight that the singer is aware that he is not extraordinary and cannot lift mountains or perform extraordinary feats to prove his love. He acknowledges that love is supposed to be easy, and he wishes to love his partner, but he cannot do everything that she wants as he is just an ordinary man with limitations.
The singer reaches out to his partner and asks her to let him love her the way he knows how, easy and mellow. He reminds his partner that love should not be a battle and that they are meant for each other. He pleads with his partner to accept him and his love for her, despite his limitations. The chorus repeats the sentiment that he is just an ordinary man who is simple and easy-going, but capable of love if she would allow him to.
The song's message is simple and relatable, talking about the limitations of being average and one's willingness to overcome them to love someone. The singer's voice and the smooth reggae melody perfectly encapsulate the simple, easy-going message of the song, making it easy to listen to, and also reflective.
Line by Line Meaning
ordinary men uuu
The singer is an average man.
i would have to be stronger than samsone
The singer thinks he needs to have extraordinary strength to meet the expectations of the person he loves.
a wiresom than solid man
The singer thinks he needs to be more steadfast and reliable than he is.
more than just a man ...
The artist feels inadequate in meeting the expectations of the person he loves.
if i were to love you
The artist hypothetically considers the nature of his love for the person he is addressing.
in the way you want me to
The singer is aware of the potential difference in expectation between himself and the one he loves.
i do all that you have me to
The singer promises to try and meet the expectations of the one he loves.
in everywere i can
The artist will try to put in effort in any and every circumstance.
...but i am just an ordinary men ... uuuu im simple and easy going
The artist is aware that he is an average man with simple and uncomplicated emotions.
i know i can love you, girl
The artist is confident in his capacity to love the person he addresses.
only if you let me baby!! only if you let me baby!
The singer asserts that the person he addresses must also allow him to love them.
know love is suppouse to be as mellow as the moonlight
The artist believes that love should be soft and calming like moonlight.
and not something that we should fight, come give your love to me tonight
The singer thinks fighting isn't a part of love and requests the one he loves to reciprocate his feelings.
que were ment to be . me for me and you for me
The singer believes that the two of them are meant to be together.
so come on girl and let us be .
The singer invites the person he loves to accept his love.
true lovers for eternity
The artist expresses his desire for a lasting and forever love.
for i am just an ordinary men
The artist reiterates that he is just an average man.
uu im simple and easy going
The singer repeats that he is uncomplicated and easy to deal with.
i know i can love you, girl
The singer reinforces his desire to love the one he addresses.
but only if you let me baby
The artist reminds the person he is addressing to accept his love for it to prosper.
Contributed by Lillian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nattanarruda1667
Lyric
I would have to be
stronger than Samson
A wise than solid man
More than just a man
If I were to love you
In the way you want me to
I do all that you have me to
In everywhere I can
But I am just an ordinary man
simple and easy going (back vocal easy going)
I know
only
I can love you, girl
If you let me baby
If you let me
If you let me baby
@th4ialbuquerque1
essa música é a primeira que eu vou escutar quando eu tiver conquistado minha casa própria ❤ paz terrível
@luancaio9295
Quebra
@reggaeevida3167
Ai sim ... Difícil encontrar pessoas com gosto musical como nós...
@Pudimviajando
oh a pedra
@dreck5854
❤💛💚🖤
@andersondl400
Muito top
@edsonferreira1369
Como tem gente que não gosta de reggae? É o melhor gênero musical de muita cultura, viva o reggae ♥️⛑
@andersondl400
Concordo 100%
@eliabbarrosmadeira3518
Outro reggae que está entre os primeiros que chegaram aqui em São Luis, na segunda metade dos anos 1970. É pedra.
@kaiokobain7729
Como esse reggae não tem 1 milhão de visualizações? Esse deve ser um dos melhores reggaes